Fire extinguishing system



Nov. 3, 1936. s. E. ALLEN FIRE EXTINGUJISHING SYSTEM n Filed Dec. 22, 1934- INVENToR. Scorri. ALLf/v Patented Nov. 3, 1936 A PATENT ortica FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM Scott E. Allen, Glen Ridge, N. J., assigner to COTwo Fire Equipment Company, Newark, l N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application December ze', 1934, sensi No. essere 1s claims. .(ei. iss-i1) The present application is a continuation in part 'of my copending application, Serial No. 607,062, filed April 23, 1932. f

My invention relates to 'fire extinguishing 5 systems in which carbon dioxide or other highly y compressed fluid extinguisher is employed.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a, fixed installation of a novel form by which the extinguisher is distributed over a large area' and is initially expanded before being discharged into the region of the fire.

Another object is to provide a system wherein the natural draft caused by the re is utilized to carry the extinguishing fluid to the re. The extinguisher in the form of a gas thus replaces the air which is normally sucked into the fire and the latter being thus deprived of oxygen is smothered. K

A more specific object ofthe invention is to 2o provide a fire extinguishing system particularly adapted for the protection of airplane and airship hangars. Owing to the highly combustible nature of the materials of which aircraft are usually 1 built. it is essential that the fire be extinguished stance, the wings, fuselage, rudders, elevators, etc., are often made merely of wood covered with linen, silk. cotton fabric or the like treated with lacquer to present a'sxnooth surface to the air currents, and for protecting such highly combustible material distributed about a hangar which in some cases is verylarge, the ordinary fire extinguishing systems are entirely inadequate. It is impracticable to attempt to protect the aircraft by discharge of re extinguishing fluid from the walls of the hangar since such protection could not be extended more than a. few feet from the walls. On the other hand, if the re extinguishing fluid were discharged from o the rafters or ceiling of the building it would have to oppose the air currents set up by the fire and before sumcient of the extinguisher could be introduced in the hangar to smother out the dames, the damage would have been accomplished. Y

In the case of an airplane are, the blaze may be shielded by the wings so that agaseous extinguisher discharged from above would not reach the blazeand would not prevent the latter 50 from. being fed with air sucked up by the fire. Since the air currents usually rise to the fire, it is preferable to discharge the extinguisher from beneath so that the naturaldraft produced by the re will aid in drawing the gas into the blaze.

immediately. In the case of airplanes, for in- An object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a system employing carbon dioxide or other highly compressed extinguishing fluid in which the uid is discharged in the form of a gas from outlets in the floor of the hangar.

Another lobject of the invention is to provide the discharge outlets with expansion chambers which will cut down the velocity of the lfluid discharged so that the duid will be carried into the fire not so much by its' own velocity as by the currents produced by the fire. y

Another object of the invention is to proportion the discharge outlets to the probable height at which-theme might occur so that the jets of fluid will be carried by their own velocity to a zone near enough to the fire to be drawn thereinto by suction of the re.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide adischarge outlet for fire extinguishing fluid in which there is not only an expansion chamber to reduce the pressure of the discharging fluid but also a heme over the jet of fluid entering the lexpansion chamber, so as to spread the jet, check the velocity of the fluid and permit of a relatively short expansion chainber. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor outlet for extinguishing uid with a cover closing the outlet, said cover being free to open under pressure of the discharging fluid With these objects in view and others which will appear in the following description, ll shall now describe a preferred embodiment of my invention and a modification thereof and thereafter shall point out the novelty and scope of the invention in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawing;

Figure l is a view in cross-section of a hangar equipped with my improved fire extinguishing system;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of `a portion of the licor of a hangar showing the distribution of the dis-A charge outlets; Y

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section of one of the discharge outlets;

Fig. t is a detail view of a drop curtain and associated mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in section of a modified form ofV a discharge outlet.

The hangar protected by my improved nre extinguishing system is indicated in the drawing by the numeral i8. This hangar is provided with a door l i, at one side and also with a drop curtain I3 of asbestos or other fireproof material which is adopted to close the doorway in cese of emergency. At a suitable point outside of the hangar is a battery I4 of containers for the extinguisher to be used. Preferably this battery consists of a set of steel bottles (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1) in which the carbon dioxide is maintained as a liquid under pressure. A discharge mechanism is indicated at I5 by which the gas from the iiuid may be discharged into a pipe system I6. The discharge mechanism I5 may be of any suitable form known to the art and is merely conventionally shown in the drawing The pipe system I6 passes under the iloor I1 of the hangar and leading from this system is a pipe I8 which runs to the drop curtain Il. This drop curtain as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 is normally rolled up and supported in hooks I9 which are hinged to the frame of the hangar. Only one of the hooks is shown in the drawing. Each hook is connected to a plunger 20 which ilts in a cylinder 2l. The hooks are so fulcrumed that they normally swing into the holding position shown in Fig. 1, but when the fluid is admitted into the piping system, a part of it ows through the pipe I8 into the cylinders 2l, forcing out the plungers 20 and swinging the hooks clear of the drop curtain, so that the curtain is permitted to drop and close the doorway of the hangar should it happen to be open.

Leading upward from the piping system I8 is a series of nozzles or jets 22. Each nozzle opens into a preferably cylindrical casing 23 which constitutes an expansion chamber and discharge outlet. 'I'he casings are set into the iloorof the hangar and the upper end of each casing is closed by a door 24 which fits into a recess or socket in the floor of the hangar so as to lie flush with said floor. The discharge outlets are distributed throughout the floor of the hangar, as indicated in Fig. 2. The inner end wall 25 of the expansion chamber is preferably hemispherical, as shown in Fig. 3, and secured on studs 26 projecting from this end wall is a bame plate 21. 'I'he latter is spaced slightly above the end of the discharge nozzle 22 and also from the side walls of the expansion chamber.

In operation, when a re is detected the discharge mechanism I5 is operated and thereby not.

only drops the drop curtain I3, but also discharges the iire extinguishing'iluid into the hangar from points all over the floor thereof. 'I'he fluid passing up through the nozzles 22 strikes the baille plates 21 and is spread thereby losing much of its velocity, and the volume ofthe expansion chamber also permits further expansion of the uid so that the pressure thereof is considerably reduced before it issues from the expansion chamber. The trap door 24 thrown out of its socket by the pressure of the expanding gas and the gas then issues with sufiicient velocity to reach a zone from which it may be drawn into the blaze by suction produced by the nre, extinguishing L -the blaze by depriving it of oxygen.

In the case of carbon dioxide the pressure of the jets is considerable and it is highly important that suitable expansion be provided not only to permit the liquid to discharge into a gas if the uid is still in liquid form when it issues from the jet, but also to overcome the-velocity of the jets. If the jets were to discharge directly. into the hangar without being previously expanded they would shoot up to a great height entraining large quantities of air and actually carrying air to the iire to fan the blaze.

If the fire hazard is located near the iloor level the outlets are designed to reduce the directional velocity of the jets to such extent that the gas will roll out of the outlets in clouds which, if there were no fire, would normally hug the door, but which, in case of fire, would be drawn into the fire solely, or substantially so, by the suction of the fire. AIf, on the other hand, the ilre were located at a considerable height above the floor it might gain serious headway before sufficient draft would be developed to draw the clouds of gas from the floor up into the hre'. 'I'his is particularly true in the case of carbon dioxide gas which is much heavier than air and is even heavier when chilled by expansion from its liquid form so that it has a strong tendency to cling to the iioor. Hence, I proportion the jets to the level which is to be protected, that is. to the zone in which the greatest fire hazard is located. 'I'he discharge orifices of the nozzles 22 and the volume of the expansion chambers 23 are so relatively proportioned that the jets will rise to a predetermined level adjacent said zone before their directional velocity is lost and the gas mushrooms or spreads out in the form of billows. I From this level the billows of gas may be drawn into said zone by the natural draft caused by the iire. By a proper proportioning of the nozzles and expansion chambers I am able to form a screen of carbon dioxide gas at and immediately under the re so as to cut oiI the supply of air thereto and cause the re to drawin carbon dioxide instead.

When carbon dioxide is used there is a tendency for snow to form in the expansion chamber and this would tend to collect in the chamber were it not provided with the hemispherical end wall 25, as shown in Fig. 3. Any snow that forms in the expansion chamber 23 is blown out with the carbon dioxide which streams around the edge of the baille plate 28.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, no baille plate is provided but the necessary expansion of the uid is obtained by providing a deeper expansion chamber 28. This expansion chamber is closed by a lid 29 which is preferably hinged to the floor of the hangar, as indicated at 3l. The pressure of the discharging iluid will swing the door open as indicated by broken lines, but under normal conditions the door will be closed and will lie flush with the floor of the hangar, as indicated in full lines. Obviously, a door of this sort could also be used with the expansion chamber shown in Fig. 3.

While I have described my improved fire extinguishing system as applied to a hangar it will be obvious that it may also be used in other buildings, rooms, or enclosures, and-is not limited to the protection of hangars.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. The method of extinguishing a ilre in an enclosure having a iloor, the iire being located above the iioor level, which consists in forming a screen of carbon dioxideA gas immediately under the fire in position to be drawn up into the re by suction produced by the hre, and continuously supplying said gaseous screen with jets of gas issuing through said oor but of insumcient velocity to reach the re in the form of jets.

2. The'method of extinguishing fire in an enclosure having a floor, with a-flre extinguishing fluid liquefied under pressure but gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, which comprises the steps of conducting the fluid to a point in the 25v V pheric conditions, expanding the liquid extinimmediatevicinity of the enclosure, continuously expanding the liquid at said point to reduce its pressure andconvert it into billows of gas, and continuously releasing the gas into the enclosure through the floor and close to the floor level.

3. The method of extinguishing a re in an enclosure having a floor, the nre being located above thefloor level, which comprises the steps of discharging below the floor level a jet of re extinguisher liqueiied under pressure, said extinguisher being gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, expanding the liquid extinguisher into a gas and thereby materially reducing the directional velocity of the jet, and liberating the gas into the enclosure through the floor and close to the floor level, the velocity being reduced by said expansion to such extent as to prevent the jet from carrying any substantial amount of air into the fire. y

4. The method of extinguishing a fire in an enclosure having `a floor, the fire being located above the floor level which comprises the steps o'fdischarging below the oor level a jet of iire extinguisher liquefied under pressure, said extinguisher being gaseous under normal atmosguisher into a gas and thereby materially reducing the directional velocity of the jet, and liberating the gas into the enclosure through the floor and close to the floor level, the velocity of the jets being so reduced by such expansion that the gasvwill not reach the fire as a jet but will form billows at a level from which the gas may be carried into the iire by suction produced by the lire. Y Y

5. The method of extinguishing fire in an enclosure having a floor, which comprises the steps of discharging below the floor level a jet of fire extinguisher liquefied under pressure, said extinguisher being gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, baffling the jet and expanding the same so as to materially reduce the directional velocity of the jet, liberating the gas into the enclosure through the floor and close to the floor level, the velocity of the jet being so reduced by such baffling and expansion that the gas will not reach the fire as a jet but will form billows at a level from which the gas may be- -carried to the fire by suction produced by the sure, said fluid being gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions,. a distributor pipe leading from said supply-under the enclosure, a plurality of nozzles opening upwardly from the pipe to direct jets of the extinguishing fluid toward the fire, and means for reducing the velocity of the jets issuing from the nozzles to such extent that the extinguishing gas will not reach the fire in the -form of jets but will form billows at a level from which the gas may be carried into the fire by suction produced by the nre. l

8. A fire extinguishing system for extinguishing a lire in an enclosure having a floor, the fire -being located above the floor level, said apparatus comprising a supply of extinguishing fluid liquefied under pressure, said fluid being gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions,`a distributor pipe leading from said supply under the floor, a plurality of outlets from the pipe opening upwardly through the floor into the enclosure and close to the'loor level, so as to direct jets of extinguishing gas at the lire, and means for reducing the velocity of the jets to such extent that the gas will not reach the re in the form of jets but will form billows at a level from which thegas may be carried into the re by suction produced by the fire.

9. In a re extinguishing system for an enclosure having a floor, a supply of extinguishing fluid liquefledunder pressure, said fluid being gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, a distributor pipe leading from said supply under the floor, a plurality of outlets from the pipefor discharging the fluid through the floor into the enclosure close to the floor level, and means for reducing the velocity of the ,discharging fluid before it enters the enclosure to Van extent below that at which the velocity of the fluid is suflicient to entrain any substantial amount of air.

10. In a re extinguishing system for an enclosure having a floor, a plurality of expansion chambers in the floor and opening therethrough into theenclosure close to Ithe floor level, a nozzle in each chamber, a supply of extinguishing fluid liquefied under pressure, saidiiuid being gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, and a distributor pipe leading from said supply to said nozzles, each chamber being constructed and arranged to permit expansion of the fluid therein to such extent as to reduce its velocity below that at which it will entrain any substantial amount of air.

ll. In a re extinguishing system for an enclosure having a iioor, a supply of highly compressed extinguishing uid which is gaseous under normal atmospheric pressure, al distributor pipe-leading therefrom, a plurality of discharge outlets leading from the pipe through said floor and discharging close to the floor level, means for releasing saidfluid into said pipe, each outlet providing a chamber for expansion of the fluid,

and a closure for each outlet adapted to be opened y arranged to permit expansion of the fluid therein to such van extent as to reduce its velocity below that at which it will entrain any substantial amount of air. I

1 2. In a fire extinguishing system for anenclosure having a. floor, a supply of highly compressed extinguishing iiuid which is gaseous under normal atmospheric pressure, a distributor pipe leading therefrom, a plurality of discharge outlets leading from the pipe through the floor and discharging close to the floor level, means for releasing Asaid fluid into said pipe, each outlet providing a chamber for expansion of the fluid, and a trap door covering each outlet lying flush with lthe floor when in closed position, such door being free to open under pressure of the uid expanded in said chamber, each of said chambers being constructed and arranged to permit expansion of the fluid therein to such an extent as to reduce its velocity below that at which it will entrain anysubstantial amount of air.

tinguishing iiuid, a plurality of outlet devices,

and means lfor controlling discharge of iluid from said source through said devices, each oi the latter comprising an expansion chamber open at one end and closed at the other, a discharge nozzle source through said devices, each of the latter comprising an expansion chamber open at one end and having a substantially hemi-spherical wall closing the opposite end, a discharge nozzle connected to said source and opening through said wall, and a bame plate overlying but spaced from the nozzle adjacent said wall.

15. A fired tire extinguishing installation comprising a source of highly compressed fire extinguishing fluid, .a plurality of outlet devices. and means for controlling .discharge of fluid from said source through said devices, each of the latter comprising an expansion chamber open at one end and closed at the other, a discharge nozzle connected to said source and opening through said closed end, the latter having a smoothly curved concave inner face, a baille plate overlying but spaced from the nozzle adjacent said wall, and a closure member normally closing the open end of said chamber. but adapted to be opened by pressure of the iluid in the chamber.

' SCOI'I E. ALLEN. 

